Back to Group 1

The Founding Fathers


Summary
The book starts with a short biography of Carl M. Karcher from Ohio, one of the fast food pioneers in the nation. He dropped out of school in eighth grade to work as a farmer. At the age of twenty, he moved out to California to work for his uncle, where he met his wife Margaret and they had children. Carl took interest in the small hot-dog stands that sat along roads in California, and invested in the venture. This led him to open a drive-in barbeque restaurant, as California’s population began to boom and cars became more popular. Similarly, the McDonald brothers had begun their own burger restaurant where they developed the Speedee Service System which was highly effective. Carl noticed their success and opened his own self-service restaurant, the popular Carl’s Jr. During this time, as the businesses became more popular, other now well-known companies were born: Taco Bell, Dunkin’ Donuts, Wendy’s, Domino’s, and Kentucky Fried Chicken. The Arab oil embargo of 1973 made things difficult for the industry, but they quickly recovered. Eventually, Carl was kicked out of his own company, but doesn’t regret what has happened. He believes in progress.